VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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Tour the Dickens Project with the Virtual Environments Team

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Monday, December 11 at 8 PM EST in Second Life, VSTE will get a guided tour of a Linden Endowment for the Arts sim The Dickens Project 2017. Everyone is invited. If you are a lover of literature this is for you!

Download the SL viewer from www.secondlife.com now and pick a readymade avatar. Let me know if you need help.

From the LEA website:
"The Dickens Project will celebrate its fifth year in Second Life on Linden Endowment for the Arts Region 7 in an expanded edition of the annual event that features "something for almost everyone." Staged on a full region this year for the very first time, the traditional 10 day event that began in 2012 as a celebration of the Dickens Centennial will be open to residents for five weeks, beginning November 25th and closing December 30th, on LEA 7 http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA7/114/149/21

The celebration will feature live music, weekly DJ sessions, stage performances by Guerilla Burlesque, and Misfit Dance & Performance Art in addition to Seanchai's traditional spoken word presentations from the canon of author Charles Dickens (1812-1870) centered on, but not limited to, his novella A Christmas Carol. Carriage and balloon tours, skating, sledding and a few surprises are among the other features planned for LEA 7. The Community Virtual Library has designed an interactive information center on the times and work of Charles Dickens which can also be explored."

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Getting the Most Out of Your Raspberry Pi in the Classroom

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This is a cross post from the DexterEd website and features content of potential interest to VSTE members.

So you purchased a Raspberry Pi!  Now what can you do with it in your classroom?  These simple $40 computers are extremely versatile in the classroom. Whether you have one or a full set, there are plenty of ways to utilize them with your students.  Time for a field trip to my 6th grade classroom!  We have eleven Raspberry Pi workstations setup in my classroom for the students to use throughout the day.  They are used just like our class laptops – web searches, creating documents and slideshows, etc.  We also use them to learn more about physical computing, programming, and to build.  This has been a work in progress over the past three years.  I started with one Pi and it has slowly grown from there. Below are a couple of ways to use the Raspberry Pi in your classroom.

Computers

Using the Raspberry Pi just like we use other computers takes a little setup. The Raspberry Pi is the computer board, so you’ll connect it to a mouse, keyboard, monitor, and ethernet cable to turn it into a computer.

Programming

Many students begin programming using block-based programming languages such as Scratch.  Students can create programs for a variety of purposes.  In my class students have created quiz games, reviews to illustrate concepts in a unit, as well as programs just for fun. Students can also program in other languages such as Python.  Sonic Pi is another program for programming that is designed for creating music and sounds. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has excellent activities and lessons to help you get started.

Physical Computing

Students can learn to control LEDs, buttons, distance sensors, motors, buzzers, and robots.  This can be through class lessons or individual explorations of using the GPIO pins on the Raspberry Pi to control inputs or outputs.

  • GoPiGo, a complete robot kit you can program in Bloxter, Python, Scratch, C and more.
  • GoBoxEd, a set of curriculum to teach programming in a block based language, Bloxter (built off of Google’s Blockly).

There are also a variety of HATs for the Raspberry Pi and Raspberry Pi Zero.  Another way to explore physical computing with Pi is by using a Sense HAT.  The Sense HAT features include a barometer, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, gyroscope, magnetometer, LED matrix display, and a button joystick. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has excellent activities and lessons to help you get started.

Building –

Minecraft Pi is a basic version of Minecraft made for Raspberry Pi.  Students created builds to show their understanding of social studies concepts, illustrate types of patterns in math class, and to explain novels from book club.

Not only can students build in the Minecraft world just as they do in other versions of Minecraft, they can learn Python programming to build.  This was a  lunch bunch project for a group of my students last year.  They read and learned about programming in Python to create structures in Minecraft, teleport, and much more. Their exposure to Python through Minecraft then inspired them to investigate using Python to program games and to control their robots.  If you need to some support getting started, check out the Raspberry Pi Foundation site.

There is so much you can do with the Raspberry Pi and this post just scratches the surface of the possibilities.  Hopefully you are inspired to dive in and learn more!

Sign up to receive a FREE Raspberry Pi Syllabus!

Big Deal Book, December 1, 2017

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VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you the "best of the best" of web-based resources, classroom competitions and teacher grant programs. The December, 1, 2017, newsletter offers resources that Encourage Coding, Foster Inquiry, Make Molecules, Support ELLs & More.

Here are a few of our favorites. Be sure to check out the complete newsletter using the link below. The archives have some great stuff, too! Bookmark the page for your next snow day.

Interactive Quiz on Global Awareness

The New York Times Learning Network’s “Country of the Week” feature helps to build students’ geography skills. A weekly interactive quiz introduces students to a country via a recent video or photograph and then asks them to find that place on a map. The quiz then focuses on the demographics and culture of the country.

Gameplay Using Programming Commands

Designed for iOS, Cato’s Hike puts students in a hiker’s shoes (either Cato’s or his friend’s—students’ choice) on an odyssey to find a way through the magical world they’ve stumbled into and to get back home. As they engage in the game, students use programming commands to tell their character where to move and how to get past such obstacles as water, rocks, and trees.

Challenge to Code Open Source Projects

Google’s eighth annual Code-in challenge calls on students aged 13–17 to complete coding tasks on open source projects, with the aim of exposing teenagers to open source software development. To date, some 4,500 students have participated in the Google Code-in challenge, completing more than 23,000 tasks.

Big Deal Book, December 1, 2017

Archives

 

National Day of Action, December 5, 2017

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Please join the 60+ organizations that make up the Title IV-A Coalition for our National Day of Action!

Join the push to fully fund Title IV-A, which houses the edtech provisions in ESSA. Funding for this program is critical!

Sign up for the Thunderclap here: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/65448-raisethecaps-for-moretitleiv 

Read below for more info and ways you can take action:

Join us on Tuesday December 5th for a National Day of Action to advocate for full funding of the Title IV-A Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grant program. This grant, part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) will allow schools and districts to support well-rounded programs, safe and healthy schools, and the effective use of technology.

In its first year of funding, Congress only allocated 25% of the authorized funds for Title IV-A, severely limiting the ability of districts and states to support these programs. We need to let lawmakers know that an investment in Title IV-A is an investment in our nation’s schools and students, ultimately preparing them for the workforce.

If you want to add your own throughout the day, here are some sample tweets (Twitter now allows 280 characters!):

  • @[Senator], raise the non defense discretionary spending caps and provide #MoreTitleIV of #ESSA, which provides mental health services, access to #STEM, arts, music, PE, & #edtech programs. Our nation’s students deserve the $1.6 billion Congress promised
  • @[Senator] #MoreTitleIV funds mean greater flexibility and more meaningful investments for local school districts! #ESSA #RaiseTheCaps
  • #MoreTitleIV funding provides Ss the ability to give students a more complete, well rounded education @[Senator] #ESSA #RaiseTheCaps
  • All Ss benefit from Title IVA funds, w/o them districts are forced to choose between critical programs. #MoreTitleIV @[Senator] #ESSA #RaiseTheCaps
  • Mental health services, access to STEM, arts & music, PE and edtech programs are at risk w/o fully funding Title IV, A grants. #MoreTitleIV @[Senator] #ESSA #RaiseTheCaps

CALL YOUR CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES

Below is a script you can use:

I am a [insert profession or organizational affiliation] and a voter in [insert home state and or congressional district] and I am calling to urge Senator/Representative[insert name here] to raise the non defense discretionary federal spending caps and support full funding of the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant program under Title IV, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Congress authorized Title IV-A of ESSA at $1.6 Billion to ensure that each school district received funds to support access to a well-rounded education, improve student’s physical and mental health and improve conditions for learning, and to increase the effective use of technology. Unfortunately, the current level of $400 million is wholly inadequate to support the critical services needed in my school.

All of these areas supported by this block grant are critical to ensure all students graduate from high school ready to enter college or the workforce. Underfunding this program seriously undermines my ability as an educator to adequately educate and support the whole child.

I strongly urge you to raise the caps and support the full funding of Title IV-A in FY18.

SHARE YOUR STORY – HOW DO THESE FUNDS IMPACT YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS?

Share Your Story Here: One of the most compelling ways to let Congress know about the importance of funding for this program is to hear directly from you about how these programs benefit your students. In order to help us show Congress the real life value these funds provide to you and your students, we are collecting stories about the benefits and consequences of receiving adequate or inadequate funds for programs including mental health services and professionals, music, arts, AP, STEM, and the effective use of technology.

Do you have a story to tell? Has your school received enough funding for these programs? What differences have these funds made in the lives of your students? What happens if these programs and services go away due to underfunding?

Please take a few minutes to write a paragraph or two using this handy form to share your story with us and to show Congress exactly why funding for these programs matters. We need to let members of Congress know how increased funding for this program could help your students.

Big Deal Book, November 15, 2017

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Blue rectangle with words Maximizing Technology in the the 21st Century Classroom bright graphic on left side of rectangle displays words Big Deal MediaFrom digital learning to mobile learning to professional growth, Big Deal Media offers the best of the best web-based resources for K-12 educators. The October 16, 2017, newsletter offers resources that help Create a Global Classroom, Tap Deeper Learning, Picture History & More.

Here are a few of our favorite resources in this newsletter. Be sure to check out the full newsletter linked below:

Digital Learning • Learning Support

Web Projects to Enhance Historical Thinking

The American Social History Project (ASHP) in the Center for Media Literacyat City University of New York has been at the forefront of history on the web since the mid-1990s, producing a variety of websites where teachers, students, and the general public can discover the past. The subjects range from revolutionary France to twenty-first century America and points in between.

STEM • STEAM • STREAM

Essential STEM Resources to Spark Creativity

Quill.com helps educators launch the new school year with fresh lesson plans and activities, as well as products, supplies, and technology to create engaging and positive learning environments. Teachers can put their students’ creativity into high gear with 3D models and other STEM activities. They can brush up on their professional growth efforts (and receive a CE certificate) with relevant webinars on topics such as “Teaching with Technology,” “Tech As a Learning Tool,” and “Creating Brain-Friendly Classrooms.”

Mobile Learning

Number Crunching Gameplay

Developed by Little 10 Robots for iPhone and iPad, Calcugators – Additionimmerses students in entertaining gameplay while sharpening their addition skills. Although the app focuses on addition, students have a variety of ways to manipulate numbers and improve their overall number sense and problem solving skills.

Big Deal Book, November 15, 2017

Check the archives for more resources.